And So We Say Goodbye To The Big City…Farewell San Diego, CA

Afternoon stroll on Del Mar beach w/ buddies

Well we’re finally leaving the big city. It’s been a whirlwind of a month here in San Diego and I have to admit I’m ready to get back out in the boonies. I really do love this city, but I find myself picking up in pace here…getting just a tad more busy…a tad more frantic…a tad more stressed. It’s nothing really extreme, just a sense of the city vibe and crazy traffic seeping into my everyday, and after a month of it I’m ready to ease out and back into a slower synch with nature.

My cousin Christina poses by Torrey Pines

Time w/ doggie on the beach…perfection!

But I’ll grant that it’s not all the city’s fault either. We really packed in the activities here starting with meet-ups with RV friends, dentals for the cats (believe it or not we managed to slip away with ZERO extractions this time), an impromptu visit from my Danish cousin, local buddies, Christmas celebrations, New Year party, remodelling our valences, doc visits and so on…I mean phew! Our list of stuff to do was loooong and we managed most of it, but 4 weeks ain’t a long time when you come down to it.

And I can’t deny the fun stuff either. Beach-time on the beautiful coast, bike rides in the bay, kayaking with seals in the water, sightseeing, gorgeous sunsets and playing with tools. On the latter note Paul has actually become quite the January handyman, getting into various small RV projects and even changing the brake-pads on our CRV…all with the help of some friends.

Our last, great San Diego sunset

And that brings me the best part of all. Meeting folks, spending time with other RVers and helping each other along the way. As we ease into our 4th year fulltiming we are starting to create a rather solid circle of RV friends. I really never expected to find such a strong sense of community when we started this journey and it’s been one of the best surprises of our entire experience. RVing is fun, but RVing with friends is even better.

But alas the itch to move is here. So we say goodbye (for now) to our buddies, farewell to the city and we’re off to the boonies. We’ll see ya’all on the other side….

Paul changes our brake pads w/ help from our buddy Tom

Drilling & fiddling w/ help from our RV buddy Dave

Afternoon glow in Torrey Pines

Beach beauty

Two Danes & A Week in S.CA

Recognize this girl? Posing at Torrey Pines in San Diego

It’s hard to believe we’re already 1 week into 2013. The time just seems to fly by (a sign of age, perhaps?) and we’ve been busy as a swarm of S.CA bees in an RV honey hive. You see at the end of Dec we received a rather impulsive visit from my Danish cousin, Christina. If you’ve been following the blog for a while you’ll remember this young lady from adventures on the OR coast this summer, and a memorable tale of sore buttocks in the Rockies of CO from 2010. She’s a travellin’ lover and jumped at the chance to see us in CA this winter. A ticket and 20 hours later she was here and ready to take S.CA by storm.

So what do you get up to in San Diego with two Danish gals on the loose? Well, we had a couple of cool adventures that I can now bring you up to date on:

1/ Day-Trip To Los Angeles

Sunset at Venice Beach

I fully admit I have a love-hate relationship with LA. I love the diversity there, but man-oh-man do I hate that traffic. It almost killed us last time we drove through the city, so it was with some trepidation that I agreed to take a day-trip w/ the toad to see the sights. I mean seeing LA is something every tourist has gotta do, at least once right? So I braced myself for the ride and planned a manageable itinerary with some cool sights.

On the not-exactly-legal trail to the sign

We started with a trip to the famous Hollywood sign where we promptly got lost on our hike (well, because I’m me), ended up on a road with warnings that there was “absolutely no access to the Hollywood sign” (a natural invitation to walk there, of course) followed by other warnings that it was completely illegal to hike this path (an obvious encouragement) followed by various other decisively discouraging signs that naturally led us to a perfect path right to the base of the sign….AWESOME!

Posing with the star-prints on Hollywood Road

After our rebellious trek we dropped back to Hollywood Blvd to see the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We managed to squeeze the CRV into a ridiculously small, but free parking spot (the equivalent of hitting the LA jackpot) and massed our way through the throng of crowds to put our hands in the cement imprints of the stars and gawk at all the various performers dressed in outrageous costumes posing for money. COOL!

Having satisfied our star-lust we decided on a slower pace and made our way over to Venice Beach to end the day with a glass and some people-watching on the promenade. Exactly the kind of eclectic mix of color and roller-skating beach-goers that originally bought me to California. Just before sunset an impromptu drum-jam started up on the sand swelling to a mass of 50 people jiving and grooving with the beats (and a bit of ganga thrown in, by the smells of it). GROOVY!

A pretty neat day, despite 5 hours of frustrating driving…like I said…totally love-hate relationship!

Late PM glow at Venice Beach

2/ Adventures On The Water

And she’s up!!!

Kayaking La Jolla Bay

San Diego is one of the best places to play in the water. With miles of beach, tons of killer surf breaks and protected bays you can splash just about any way you wish. Our first day on the water we took Christina for a surf lesson on the beautiful long-board break by San Elijo State Beach. She finished with jello arms, but managed some good stands on the board and was totally captivated by the sport (I see surfing in Denmark in her future). Our next day out we switched pace and went kayaking in gorgeous La Jolla Bay. We learned our lesson from our last visit and rented from Bike & Kayak insted of taking a tour this time, opting for a liesurely 2-hour paddle around the sea caves and giant kelp at our own pace. While we were floating in the bay we were visited by a family of seals who curiously popped their heads around the kayaks, sniffed the boats and swam underneath to check us out…just fabulous!

3/ Adventures On Land

By Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach

With near-perfect weather the entire week we opted for a few extra adventures on land including a 14-mile bike-ride around Mission Bay, a gorgeous hike in Torrey Pines State Reserve (totally worth it for the wacky sandstone cliffs and the rare pines) and trips to the various beach towns. It’s hard to beat the coastal winter views in San Diego!

4/ Adventures In Urban Parks

In the artists colony at Balboa Park

Christina catches a shot of the giant turtles right before “the action” starts

I gushed poetic about the urban parks in San Diego last year (here and here), so I had to take Christina to see a few of them during her time here. We managed a gorgeous day (with doggie in tow) to Balboa Park followed by another day at the San Diego Zoo. The latter was actually a first time visit for me. I’ve always been partial to the bigger San Diego Safari Park up north (and I still think the Safari Park is an overall cooler experience), but I enjoyed our time at the Zoo in town. Our Zoo experience was also rather enlightening in other ways as we caught a couple of giant turtles “getting jiggy with it” (always wondered how they managed) and sampled Kalhua & Bailey coffee’s (yes, I recommend).

5/ Adventures In RV Socializing

Drinking with “the crew” in Mission Bay RV Resort

No visit to “the beast” would be complete without a bit of RV socializing thrown in. We’ve got several RV buddies in the park (Hans&Lisa, Alex&Ellen, Wendy&James, Sue&Dave) and I decided to bring them all together with the invitation to a special Danish spiced-wine concoction…Glögg. It’s typically a Christmas-season drink so I was a bit late in the making, but figured I could pass it off with the non-initiated locals. Also I happen to have my mother’s super-secret, extra-potent (even by Danish standards) but deceiving smooth recipe which is guaranteed to get any party in a good mood. And indeed no-one noticed the lapse in protocol. In fact after several glasses of the fine fusion, the festive spirit was firmly re-ignited and a jolly good time declared by all.

And that….phew!…is what two Danes get up to in a week in S.CA. We’re winding down our last few days here in San Diego before we pick up and rock back to boondocking in the desert. We’ve got an adventure in Mexico lined up for you (with tips on how to get inexpensive quality dentistry work) and a trip to the largest RV gathering on earth. See you soon….

Stilt-walkers on Venice Beach

Drum-jam on Venice Beach

Enjoying a glass on Venice Beach

It’s Shrek!!

Toes in the sun in La Jolla Bay

Colorful Balboa Park

An alert Mircat at the zoo

Pink Flamingo reflections

2012 Top RV Parks & Campgrounds Of The Year

Having finally entered 2013 it’s time to do my annual round-up of the best campgrounds we stayed at last year. As you already know if you read my last post this was the year we slowed waaaay down, so much so that we only stayed at 18 spots (!) all year including 3 private parks, 3 boondocking spots and the rest public campgrounds of some kind. Doesn’t leave much to review, huh? But we were particularly picky this year going to places we reaaaaly love. Given our low total number I’m going to shorten the post to my top 5…the best of the best if you will. So here goes:

1/ Borrego Springs Boondocking, CA (rating 4.75/5)

Early morning hike by Rockhouse Canyon Road

This remains one of our absolute favorite boondocking sites and it scores top marks in every category including 360 degree views, spectacular nature, good access, a cute local town and tons to do in the area. Best of all it’s FREE. I mean, what more could you want? It’s our highest-rated spot of the year and one we plan to return to again and again. Located in the SW CA desert. CHECK IT OUT!

2/ Cape Blanco State Park, OR (rating 4.5/5)

Hiking north beach at Cape Blanco..all alone too!

We were completely blown away by wild and remote Cape Blanco. Huge (enormous) sites surrounded by the stunning beauty of the cape, miles of isolated beach and the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the OR coast. Plus you’re only ~10 miles from a cute coastal town. If you’re looking to get away and bask in the glory of coastal nature this is the spot. Located on the Southern OR Coast. CHECK IT OUT!

3/ Emigrant Lake County Park, OR (rating 4.5/5)

Sunset at Emigrant Lake

We stumbled across this county park almost by accident and lucked into our most perfect RV site ever. Want full-lake views? Your own swim beach? Your own little peninsular? Then site #21B at Emigrant Lake is your choice! And the rest of ‘em sites ain’t too bad either. Plus you’re right next the funky town of Ashland for culture & theatre (do not miss the Annual Shakespeare Festival). Located in S.Central OR. CHECK IT OUT!

4/ Alabama Hills Boondocking, CA (rating 4.4/5)

Yours truly in the Alabama Hills

Located in the shadow of majestic Mt.Whitney snuggled between cool & wacky rocks with some old Western Movie History thrown in, this is just a fabulous and totally unique boondocking spot. You’ve got 360-degree views, miles of nature to explore and it’s all gloriously FREE. There is no doubt we’ll be back here again. Located in SE CA. CHECK IT OUT!

5/ Bullards Beach State Park, OR (rating 4.4/5)

The cutest little lighthouse in OR

It’s official…we LOVE the Oregon coast and Bullards Beach is just another great State Park in the area. You’ve got a lovely beach, the cutest little lighthouse on the coast and you’re only 5 mins from an awesome coastal town (our FAV on the entire coast). We’re going to spend another 2 months here next year. Located on S.Central OR coast. CHECK IT OUT!

And a few special mentions…

I can’t deny that almost every spot we stayed at this year was special. My top 5 could easily have been top 18! But there are a few extra notables I’ve got to mention. I can’t forget our fabulous trip down the Eastern Side of the Sierra Nevada mountains (Hwy 395) where we had a full lake-view at Oh Ridge! National Forest Campground and discovered stunning 360-degree views at $5/night Horton Creek BLM Campground. And I have to mention our staples that we’ve come to love (and stayed at multiple times) the always-lovely Armitage County Park in Eugene, OR, the quirky but oh-so-relaxing Sam’s Family Spa in Desert Hot Springs, CA (our only private park in the line-up) and the ever-gorgeous  & spacious Washoe Lake State Park, NV.

To link to our previous years round-ups see here:

• 2011 Top RV Parks & Campgrounds Of The Year
• 2010 Best RV Parks & Campgrounds of the Year

That’s it for our 2012 round-up. Next post I’ll bring you up to date on what we’ve been getting up to in 2013. All I can say at this point is there is more than one Dane involved, waves have been ridden, places have been visited (even, shall-we-say, not quite legally)….and yes, a special Danish alcoholic concoction has been consumed

Year 3 FullTime RVing – 2,700 Miles & A Western Adventure

Boondocking in the Alabama Hills, CA

It’s the last day of the year, a day that always inspires me to reflect upon the 12 months that have passed before. It’s hard to believe that this is the end of our 3rd year RVing. When we started this adventure we had no particular time limit or goals. Simply to jump in and see where the journey took us, and each year has been a revelation and an adventure. 2012 was our 3rd year fulltime RVing and it was completely different from the previous two.

Hiking our beloved Sierra Nevada Mountains

In the glow of a glorious Cape Blanco, OR sunset

In some ways it was our most extreme year. We slowed waaaay down completing a mere 2,700 miles of total travel yet managing to fit in our longest EVER drive on one day (400 miles) as well as our shortest (28 miles). Early in the year we spent a longer-than-usual winter in San Diego for personal reasons that turned into heart-break (perhaps my darkest time RVing), but followed it with a summer in Oregon that was one of our best ever (a true highlight). Paul suffered a back injury that stopped our travels short, but opened up an unexpected opportunity to stay longer in a city we came to deeply love.

Perfection of natural beauty at the Salton Sea, CA

In other ways it was our simplest year. We stayed completely West indulging ourselves in longer stays at our most favorite places:

Cool metal art in Borrego Springs, CA

The stunning sea stacks in Bandon, OR

Paul poses by the old schoolhouse in the ghost town of Bodie, CA

Yours truly in the Alabama Hills, CA

End of the year at San Diego, CA

• We spent early winter in Borrego Springs (enjoying monster art and desert stories) and San Diego (the perfect snowbird spot with glorious dog beaches,  historical missions, wacky Ocean Beach, huge regional parks, wonderful urban parks, ghost stories, and the beginning of CA history)

• We passed spring in N.CA and Southern Oregon soaking in the spirit of Shasta and discovering one of our best RV sites ever.

• We revelled in a cool summer on the Oregon Coast, falling in love with the giant sand dunes, the beach moods, the lighthouses, the stunning sea stacks, wild Cape Blanco and the cute town of Bandon

• We abandoned ourselves to the glory of fall in SW Oregon and CA spending a few weeks at stunning Crater Lake followed by our favorite drive of ALL TIME on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountains (Hwy 395) with our buddies Lu & Terry. Here we checked out ghost towns, explored June Lake, discovered the oldest living things on earth, caught some awesome hikes and did a bit of boondocking.

• And finally we ended winter in Desert Hot Springs (where we spa’d luxuriously and had adventures with my sister), Borrego Springs (yet again for some glorious boondocking) & San Diego.

Welcome to the deep blue! Crater Lake, OR

The volunteer couple in the lighthouse tower

And in yet other ways it was our most social year. For the first time ever, we picked up workamping jobs as Lighthouse Hosts on the Oregon Coast (a month at Coquille River and another at Cape Blanco) that we enjoyed so much we signed up again for 2013, plus we made and met endless friends and bloggers along the way.

As usual I’ve kept a log of all our travels and blog posts at each spot in the “Journey” section of the blog so you can click and enjoy them all there. Or just click the following:

Our 2012 Travel Map

And what’s going to happen in 2013? Every year is an open book for us. As long as our investing holds true and the budget follows we continue to follow our RV dreams. So far our plans have held so we’ll enter our 4th year of RVing with open minds and the certainty of many new adventures. I’m not the type to make resolutions as such. I try to live my life daily to the fullest and follow the doggie-kittie approach to happiness as much as I can (an inner furry goal, if you will), so with that in mind I wish you a wonderful end to 2012 and a fabulous start to New Year!

Sometimes Words Are Not Enough…

Sometimes there are no words to describe a scene. Or rather the words are so trivial compared to the grand and awe-inspiring splendor before you. This evening was one of those moments and all I can do is share my brief capture of that time. Our sunset tonight took my breath away…and my heart. Here’s hoping your evening was as full of light, color and love as mine